On the horizon
by Freedom am I not
Summary: Both Bella and Edward are aspiring athletes that attend Mistford Sports and Athletics University,though neither knows the other. Edward is starting his second year, and Bella her first. An inter-sport partnering programme, fun loving friends and early mornings all make for a crazy year that neither will forget. All human. Canon pairings.
1. Chapter 1

All characters in this story belong to Stephanie Meyer. Most locations and places are solely fiction,despite the obvious truthful ones. No copyright intended,this is a story that was inspired by the twilight saga,also Stephanie Meyer's.

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Chapter 1: Familiar beginnings

Mistford Sports and Athletics University was situated on the banks of Lake Holden in the northern state of Michigan, America. The university had been built in the late nineteenth century and had been cared for expertly ever since, its beauty not shrouded by its almost 120 years of existence. Built in a Romanesque style with rounded windows and heavy wooden doors, it really was a work of art. The dorm rooms were no different, but their insides told a different story. Each room was left to its occupants to design and make their own. The place screamed character and life, energy and everything that made the university's experience that much more enjoyable.

The views that surrounded it were almost as exquisite. The lake itself stretched for miles, the water such a pure, clear colour that at times it felt you could see straight to the bottom of its depths. Technically speaking, that wasn't possible, considering it was roughly 20 metres at its deepest. All you could see at these deep points was vast darkness, and a rather inquisitive student's reflection on the water's surface. But at the water's edge, where it lapped silently against the sandy shores, it was shallow enough for university students to laugh and enjoy their free time, without the dangers of not having a ground to stand on. Besides, everyone at Mistford could swim. That was fact. And even with that, the blissfully still waters of the lake didn't pose a threat to anyone. When the sun split through the mist in the early mornings or dropped below the horizon in the evenings, the lake glowed, the water shimmering in a way unimaginable to even those with the most vivid of imaginations.

Beyond the lake, countless sports complexes, stadiums, tracks and centres made up the rest of the campus that was Mistford. A substantial woodland ran around the edges of the campus, forming a border with Lake Holden and enclosing the campus in its own private grounds. It was a dream place to go to university, and had almost everything a person needed to live comfortably, all on their doorstep. There really was no need to leave. Ironically, students and teachers alike not only roamed the expansive grounds within campus, but also the wider town of Ironbrook. There wasn't a day when a single member of the university wasn't seen strolling through Ironbrook's clean streets, stopping to talk to those that didn't attend the university. The town was old, and had built itself around the university. In a way, the university had built itself around the town also. Everyone knew everyone, and smiles were a permanent fixture on the faces of the town's friendly residents.

It was early September at this stage, and students were beginning to trickle back through the iron gates of the university after whirlwind summers as they prepared themselves for the coming year. Classes started in just over a week, and the sport season a week after that. Most students liked to come 'home' as they called it, early, in order to give themselves time to settle back into campus life and reconnect with those whom they haven't seen over the summer break. The university was buzzing with a new lease of energy and excitement as stories were shared and tales were told. It was a hive of activity, and the smells of evening cookouts and barbeques wafted through the air as the place returned to a sense of normality.

But from where Edward stood, the place looked anything but normal. It was indescribable; the very sight of the place knocked the wind out of him and forced him to blink a couple of times. He couldn't believe it, he had already spent a year here and he still wasn't used to its energy. A smile lit up his face as he took in the bright atmosphere, and as he walked leisurely along the driveway up to the familiar dorm rooms, his bags thrown over his broad shoulders, he couldn't help but sigh happily."Home" he thought,"home".


	2. Chapter 2

All characters in this story belong to Stephanie Meyer. Most locations and places are solely fiction,despite the obvious truthful ones. No copyright intended,this is a story that was inspired by the twilight saga,also Stephanie Meyer's.

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Chapter 2: Frisbee

The first thing Bella noticed about the university was not in fact what she thought it would be. Of course, she noticed all the things that had been described to her over and over in the countless brochures; the picturesque nineteenth century building, the lake that hid behind it and shimmered in the midday heat, the countless sports buildings that rose up between large grassy lawns. Nope, the thing that struck Bella the most was not exactly what she had expected. All she saw as she walked along the flower lined driveway was people. Lots of them. People lounging in the sun; people listening to music being blasted from stereos; people heaving boxes out of cars; people awkwardly hugging parents' goodbye. Just people, everywhere. She hadn't expected this. Classes were still a week away. She didn't mind, not really. She just hadn't prepared herself for seeing so many people, and had completely forgotten that the university was one of the biggest in the state. Must have slipped her mind.

The atmosphere was crazy. Having come on her own and not knowing anyone, she was surprised by how easily a smile had graced her face at the sight of everyone having a good time. She wanted to join in, be a part of that. " Easy girl, one step at a time" she said to herself, slowly easing through the throngs of people who waved at one another and shouted "hey, it's so good to see you!" ,trying to let their voices be heard over the drone of chatter and noise that filled the air. That wasn't the only thing that filled the air, there were two other things; frisbees that zipped overhead, and the smells of barbecued food. Her stomach groaned in protest to the delicious smells that teased her senses, obviously letting her know that apparently she was hungry. She didn't understand how people could hear each other. The noise, coupled with the smells of food and the task of finding her way through the crowd was enough to keep her distracted. Although she didn't exactly have the best concentration levels either did she, she thought wryly? Jacob teased her all the time about how easily distracted she was. She smiled, because thinking about him always made her smile. He was just so happy and funny, a free spirit. Just like her. "Damn him" she cursed, realising that she had just proved him right yet again. Her feet had stopped moving minutes ago as she stood in the centre of the crowd, smiling stupidly to herself. Easily distracted, that's for sure.

Shaking her head to clear the fuzziness that had enveloped her, Bella shuffled forward again, pulling her sports bags over her shoulders that contained most of her possessions. She travelled light, as Jacob said. "Focus Bella" she warned. Her other stuff had been packed in only two boxes and shipped to her dorm room last week, which was where she was headed now if she could ever just stay focused for long enough to find the place. Looking up to gather her bearings, Bella only had a second to let her eyes adjust to the spiralling object that was headed straight towards her before it was too late. Something distinctively multi coloured and round that resembled a Frisbee flew at her, hitting her directly in the forehead. Needless to say she ended up stumbling backwards and falling into a heap on the ground, her bags landing on top of her. "Goddamit "she huffed, rubbing her forehead where the missile had hit," Owww". "I know right, who knew a piece of plastic could hurt so much" a voice spoke, easily piercing through the noise around her. It was nice, Bella noticed. The sound of the voice that is; manly and sort of rich. Looking up to see the voices owner, Bella understood why she liked the voice. It also matched the owner, who she also happened to like. The guy stood before her, a lopsided grin etched on his chiselled features. He was handsome, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a 'Go lions' t-shirt that represented the school's sports teams that were famous across state. A voice broke through her thoughts, and she realised that she had been staring. Ooops. "Sorry about the Frisbee, it was my fault. My sister made me do it though" he said, reaching down with a hand to help her up. "I did not!" a voice said indignantly from behind Bella. "I said pass, not throw the Frisbee as hard as you can into a crowd of people where it's bound to hit someone!" Taking the hand up, Bella heaved herself off the ground and stood to face the two people who were arguing with each other over whose fault it was for smacking her in the head with the Frisbee, which now lay on the ground at her feet. Reaching down, Bella picked up the object of her discomfort and turned to the guy. A small, pixie looking girl now stood beside him, waving her hands wildly in the air and making all sorts of odd gestures, apparently scolding the man for hitting Bella in the head. She already liked this girl. She was fiery, and obviously had attitude.

"You were the one who wanted to bring the stupid frisbee, so technically all of this stems from you." "No it doesn't, you just couldn't catch my epic throw and now you're blaming me because you're short" he says, grinning at Bella. Even she couldn't help the squeak of laughter that left her lips at that one, but she knew the pixie wouldn't be pleased. "I cannot believe that you just said...". "Hi so uhh here's your Frisbee, sorry to you know let my forehead get in your way" Bella rushed out, stopping their tiff and handing over the Frisbee. "Oh he should be the one apologising to you, not the other way round" the girl says before he can say anything, a triumphant smile on her pretty face. "Okay okay, I'm sorry" he says, looking her in the eyes with topaz ones that draw her in. They glitter in the sunlight. "Edward" he continues, stretching out a hand for her to shake. "Bella" she says taking it, surprised by the warmth. "And I'm Alice" says the pixie, not wanting to be left out, "Sister to this moron". An awkward silence envelops them, and Edward continues to stare intently at Bella. Not liking being scrutinised, a rosy blush creeps up Bella's neck and blossoms on her cheeks. Alice watches knowingly from the sidelines, a gleam in her eyes. Breaking her gaze from Edward's, Bella picks her bags up off the ground, including the student map that lies a little crumpled. "So do either of you know where the girl's dorms are? It's just I was following this and I don't seem to be getting any closer" Bella huffs, shaking the little map in the air.

"Oh Eddie boy definitely knows where they are" says a new voice that comes from a huge guy that pops his head up from behind Alice, waggling his eyebrows suggestively in the process. Bella blushes again, clearly getting his innuendo. "Emmet" Edward almost growls, surprising her. Clearly the fact that this Emmet called him 'Eddie boy' annoys him, as well as what he's suggesting. "That's Emmet, my brothers best friend and our adoptive brother" says Alice," He's an idiot". "Am not!" He huffs, "I'm just a person who does stupid things. That doesn't make me an idiot!" "Which building are you in?"cuts in Alice, clearly used to Emmet's charades. "C" Bella answers, her eyes flicking between Edward and Emmet who are having a staring contest. "Really, that's my building too! I can show you where it is" Alice says bouncing on her toes and looking eagerly at Bella like a puppy waiting to be walked." Okay" Bella said, unsure. She didn't think people were so open, but Alice proved her wrong. Pulled into the crowd by an exuberant pixie, Bella didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to the two guys. She didn't know them, but she couldn't just leave without finishing a conversation. Or whatever that was. "Don't worry, I'm sure that's not the last you'll see of those two" Alice beams. Bella smiles.


End file.
